Pakistan records 115pc surge in foreign tourist arrivals

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan recorded an increase of 115 per cent in foreign tourist arrivals in the outgoing year 2023 after a slump caused by the Covid-19 pandemic, says a report released by the World Tourism Organization of the United Nations. 

The World Tourism Barometer report added that Pakistan was best performing destination in terms of tourism during the first nine months of 2023. 

According to the report, other best performing destinations included Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Egypt Turkiye and Romania. International tourism recovered by 87pc to the pre-pandemic level. About 975 million tourists travelled internationally between January and September 2023.    

About the report, Pakistan Tourism Development Corporation (PTDC) Managing Director Aftab Rana said that with the projection of international receipts reaching 1.3 billion dollars by year’s end, the country made a remarkable recovery to the pre-pandemic level.